Lost Transmissions (Katharine O’Brien, 2020): USA

Review by Jeremy Ellison. Viewed at SBIFF 2020.

Inspired by true events, Katharine O’Brien’s Lost Transmissions is a stylish, edgy gaze into life in the Los Angeles music scene. Simon Pegg stars as Theo, an up-and-coming music producer, with Juno Temple as his favorite client, Hannah. The film also features Alexandra Daddario in an entertaining cameo as an eccentric pop superstar, comparable to Katy Perry. We watch Hannah and Theo’s professional relationship bloom, her growing entranced by the rise to stardom, him spiraling into a life of chaos. When Theo begins to act strange and distant, Hannah realizes it isn’t just a mood swing. She painfully becomes aware of his substance abuse, which is further worsened when paired with his schizophrenia. What begins as an upbeat ascension to fame quickly becomes an unsettling descent into addiction.

O’Brien’s direction is restrained and focused, never failing to capture the heart of the moment nor lingering on any one scene too long. The film is often visually gorgeous, drenched in rich or neon colors, evocative of Los Angeles nightlife. Other times, the color palette is muted and dull, expressive of the subdued life Theo is forced to live when sober. In a way, this is a film about the dichotomy of an intoxicated lifestyle and an abstinent lifestyle. While the first act is reminiscent of Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born, the rest is closer to something like the Safdie brothers’ Heaven Knows What.

Perhaps the best indicators of O’Brien’s talents behind the camera are the great performances by both Juno Temple and Simon Pegg. Temple is given some of her most powerful work yet; her desperate pleadings are always believable and compelling, giving the film a relatable anchor in an otherwise unfamiliar story. Pegg’s extraterrestrial behaviors—from bumbling about incoherently, to trying to “intercept intergalactic radio transmissions”—create simultaneously the most amusing and saddening performance of his career. A memorable scene involves Theo faking his way through a psychiatric assessment while Hannah furiously protests his sanity—ironically, making her seem like the mentally unstable one.

Even though it can be a bit sluggish or repetitive at times, Lost Transmissions is a film in which you are always anticipating the next scene, curious as to what misadventures lie ahead. It’s a tale of love, isolation, desire—backdropped by the music industry, and written and directed with heart. By doing so, Katharine O’Brien announces herself as a noteworthy new name in the industry.